The Mending Studio - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 15
At some point, the Peak Master of Ja Cheong Seong Ji, Seo Gyeong-cheon, had made a dramatic leap in skill.
After that, Jang Hyeon Jin In had not won a single match.
Over the next two hundred years, Jang Hyeon Jin In played Go against Seo Gyeong-cheon nearly twenty times.
Each time, he suffered a crushing defeat.
Jang Hyeon Jin In had not been idle during this period. For all those centuries, he had studied a Go formation called Sa Ryong To Su, yet he had never found a clear solution.
Once every ten years.
Over two hundred years, that made nearly twenty matches.
The Spirit Treasures and Spirit Medicines that Tae Hyeon Seong Ji had bestowed were not insignificant.
Whenever a Council Meeting approached, the Peak Masters of each sect would subtly watch Jang Hyeon Jin In’s expression for this very reason.
The Peak Master’s victory or defeat was directly tied to the reputation of Tae Hyeon Seong Ji itself.
The elders and disciples alike harbored frustration and discontent in their hearts, but since it was their Peak Master who kept losing at Go, no one dared speak of it openly.
Yet what Jang Hyeon Jin In found most unbearable was not the treasures.

“I can always acquire more Spirit Treasures.”

Jang Hyeon Jin In exhaled a long sigh.

“I’m not saying even ten-thousand-year Spirit Medicine doesn’t hurt. But there’s something harder to endure than that.”

Those around him wore the expression of people who already knew.
Jang Hyeon Jin In ground his teeth slightly.

“I hate watching that man grin after he wins.”

Several people lowered their heads.
They were trying to conceal their laughter.

“For two hundred years I’ve studied that Sa Ryong To Su formation, and I still haven’t found a clear solution.”
“If I lose this time too…….”
“Don’t say such things.”

Jang Hyeon Jin In cut him off sharply.
Gu Geo Jin In’s eyes narrowed.

“Peak Master.”
“What is it?”
“Didn’t you just say you would visit So Ji Jin in person?”

Jang Hyeon Jin In’s movements stilled.
Gu Geo Jin In smiled meaningfully.

“Why not ask that person directly?”
“About Sa Ryong To Su?”
“Indeed. Since you’re already planning to visit in person, wouldn’t it be proper to seek instruction with due respect?”

The eyes of the elderly men around them brightened in unison.

“Ah.”
“There’s that approach.”
“At his level of cultivation, he’s quite likely to have deep knowledge of Go strategy as well.”
“It would be perfectly natural for someone of his station to pursue Go while refining the mind in seclusion from the world.”

As the words continued, light kindled in Jang Hyeon Jin In’s eyes.
A man who ascended the Original Sword Master to the Divine Transformation Realm with Sword Path alone.
He had demonstrated that same caliber of mastery in Calligraphy and Painting as well.
There was no reason to assume such a person would be ignorant of Go.
Rather, one who had lived for tens of thousands of years, a supreme master, might perceive even a single formation through eyes entirely unlike their own.
Jang Hyeon Jin In felt his heart grow light.
Just because he had failed to solve the problem over two hundred years was no reason it should baffle that person. Perhaps he would understand the flaw the moment the explanation reached his ears.
Just imagining it, the face of Seo Gyeong-cheon rose before him.
The corners of Jang Hyeon Jin In’s mouth slowly lifted.

“Excellent.”

In his mind’s eye, the Go Formation that had tormented him for two hundred years came into sharp focus.

“When I descend to So Ji Jin this time… I ought to ask about the Sa Ryong To Su first.”

A knot that hadn’t loosened even once in two centuries was beginning to fray, ever so slightly. He didn’t notice his hand drift across his beard. The irritation that had dogged him each time he recalled the Council Meeting was already fading.
This time, he didn’t want to bow his head before Seo Gyeong-cheon. Perhaps this Council Meeting would end differently.
At that thought, Jang Hyeon Jin In’s gaze brightened perceptibly.
The deliberation dragged on for some time before finally concluding.
Yuk Mu Ssang’s bestowal of the title of Holy Maiden was postponed until after both sect territories’ Council Meetings were finished.
If they elevated her standing immediately, the young prodigies of Ja Cheong Seong Ji might take one look at the name and issue a challenge, heaping unnecessary burden upon them all.
Above all, they decided not to rush their course regarding Yeop Jang Cheong.
To face such an entity with greed leading the way risked inviting catastrophe instead.
From Tae Hyeon Seong Ji’s perspective, the single bond Yuk Mu Ssang had gained was already fortune beyond imagining. To smother that bond beneath the sect’s collective ambition and watch it snap would be foolishness incarnate.
So they resolved to unfold both the bestowal of the Holy Maiden title and the matter of inviting Yeop Jang Cheong to Tae Hyeon Mountain with time and care.
Once the senior cultivators had departed the Hall one by one, only Jang Hyeon Jin In and Won Geom Jin In remained inside.

“Original Sword Master.”
“Speak freely.”

Jang Hyeon Jin In let a silence settle.

“I’m thinking of descending to So Ji Jin tomorrow.”

The lightness drained from Won Geom Jin In’s expression.

“You mean to meet that person directly, sir?”
“Yes.”

Jang Hyeon Jin In answered calmly, though a slight tension had crept into the tips of his fingers.
He had shown kindness toward Yuk Mu Ssang, but he couldn’t be certain he would receive the same in return.
All Jang Hyeon Jin In had confirmed was that Yeop Jang Cheong was an existence difficult to measure by Tae Hyeon Seong Ji’s ordinary standards. And so anticipation yielded to apprehension about seeking him out in person.

“Are you prepared for this?”

Won Geom Jin In asked gravely.
Jang Hyeon Jin In offered a wry smile.

“The fate of Tae Hyeon Seong Ji for tens of thousands of years to come may hang in the balance. I cannot afford to shrink back for want of readiness.”

Then footsteps sounded from outside.
Yuk Mu Ssang entered the hall.

“Your disciple Mu Ssang pays respects to the Peak Master and Master.”
“Welcome.”

The rigidity that had settled over Jang Hyeon Jin In’s face eased slightly.

“I have something to ask you, as it happens.”

Yuk Mu Ssang raised her head.

“Please speak.”
“Tell me—what is the temperament of that person from So Ji Jin?”

Yuk Mu Ssang’s mind conjured the image of Yeop Jang Cheong’s face.
Whenever she saw him, that same unhurried expression.
Even when she stood lost and uncertain, he would offer tea first, and when faced with the few coins she offered in payment, he wouldn’t grow angry—he’d simply laugh it off.
Most of all, in how he treated a junior like herself, there was no trace of pressure or condescension.
After a moment’s reflection, Yuk Mu Ssang summed it up in four words.

“Gentle and benevolent.”

Jang Hyeon Jin In and Won Geom Jin In exchanged glances.
Won Geom Jin In cleared his throat.

“Mu Ssang is still young—he may have simply treated her kindly because of that.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”

Jang Hyeon Jin In stroked his beard.

“It would be difficult to expect him to show the same warmth toward a young, talented junior as he would toward an ancient, weathered elder.”

Yuk Mu Ssang blinked, unable to understand why the two old men were suddenly fretting over her in this way.
Won Geom Jin In spoke.

“If the Lord intends to visit tomorrow, you mustn’t go empty-handed.”
“That’s already been taken care of.”
“They say that even a single goose feather carried a thousand leagues speaks to sincerity. Though he may have no desire for treasures, the proper respect must still be observed.”

Jang Hyeon Jin In nodded.

“Which is why I’m thinking of bringing Mu Ssang along as well.”

Yuk Mu Ssang pointed to herself.

“Me as well?”
“Yes. Since you were the first to form a connection with him, it will be better to have you there than for me to appear suddenly.”

Won Geom Jin In stroked his beard with satisfaction.

“That would be safer.”
* * *
The next day, around noon.
Yuk Mu Ssang paid unusual attention to her appearance.
Since beginning her cultivation, she had shown little interest in grooming herself, but today was different—today she was going to meet Yeop Jang Cheong.
She chose a neat purple silk dress and applied the lightest touch of makeup to her face.
While the austere air about her softened slightly, it only made the fresh vitality of youth shine through more clearly.
When they entered the Tae Hyeon Hall, Jang Hyeon Jin In was already prepared.
Rather than his ornate Lord’s Ritual Robe, he wore a plain robe, so that from a distance he appeared merely as an elderly man of the Immortal Arts.

“Lord.”

Yuk Mu Ssang performed a proper bow.
Jang Hyeon Jin In examined her once, then nodded in satisfaction.

“Mu Ssang. Remember one thing.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t call me Lord in his presence.”

Yuk Mu Ssang’s expression showed slight confusion.

“How should I introduce you, then?”
“Simply say I’m an elder from your household.”

Jang Hyeon Jin In spoke with perfect naturalness.
He had no desire to lead with the fact that he was the Lord of Tae Hyeon Seong Ji.
If Yeop Jang Cheong wished to live an ordinary life in the secular world, it was better to follow that current.
Yuk Mu Ssang hesitated for a moment, then smiled.
Now she understood, at least a little, what Jang Hyeon Jin In was worried about.
It was quite possible that even the title of Lord of Tae Hyeon Seong Ji held little meaning in Yeop Jang Cheong’s eyes. Introducing himself as an ordinary family elder would be far more natural than leading with the title of Lord.

“I understand.”

Shortly after, the two of them departed from Tae Hyeon Mountain.
Two strands of crimson light cut across the mountain range, heading toward So Ji Jin.
* * *
At the same moment.
Unfamiliar figures were entering from the east side of So Ji Jin.
Leading them was an elderly man with a lean frame, dressed in a black robe.
His face was angular, as if carved by a blade, and his white eyebrows were striking.
Behind him, four middle-aged men with broad shoulders and sturdy builds followed at even intervals.

“Director Yu.”

One of the square-faced men lowered his voice.

“This is strange. Since we entered the village, the Spirit Talisman hasn’t responded at all.”

Yu Jang Ha, the elderly man in the black robe, narrowed his eyebrows.
He was the director of the Qi Shi Bu, the organization that governed the Da Yeon Kingdom.
He bore a reputation as the foremost authority within the Qi Shi Bu for both his martial prowess and insight, and he was leading this expedition personally.
Under normal circumstances, the Spirit Talisman in his hand should have allowed them to continue narrowing down the location of their target.
But the moment they crossed the boundary into So Ji Jin, the connection severed.
Yu Jang Ha did not answer immediately; instead, he surveyed his surroundings.

“But there’s something even stranger than that.”
“What is it?”
“The Spiritual Energy in this village.”

Yu Jang Ha had passed through this area several years ago.
At that time, So Ji Jin had thin Spiritual Energy—a place with no reason for cultivators to linger.
But now it was different.
The moment he stepped into the village, pure, refined Spiritual Energy brushed against his skin.
Moreover, mingled within the Spiritual Energy was a force that defied easy explanation.
It was neither Spell Power nor what one would ordinarily call Tao Force—there was something subtle about it.
It was not concentrated in one place. It permeated throughout the village very faintly, regardless of distance, humble dwellings, or alleyways.
Without Yu Jang Ha’s level of mastery, one would have found it nearly impossible to detect at all.

“The place has become like this in just a few years?”

Yu Jang Ha drew a slow breath.

“Is there a Spirit Treasure buried beneath the earth, perhaps?”

The man beside him spoke.

“So Ji Jin is part of the Sect Territory of Tae Hyeon Seong Ji. Isn’t it possible they’ve stationed something here?”
“That could be the case.”

Yu Jang Ha glanced down at the Spirit Talisman in his hand.

“If Tae Hyeon Seong Ji has laid a Sealing Formation over this place, that would explain why the connection to the Spirit Talisman has been cut off.”

He looked at the four men.

“Scatter and search.”
“Yes.”
“Only don’t frighten the locals needlessly. There’s no need to cause a disturbance in Tae Hyeon Seong Ji’s territory. Even when asking questions, observe proper courtesy.”

The four men disappeared down separate alleys.
Left alone, Yu Jang Ha closed his eyes for a moment.
He traced the strange currents of spiritual energy flowing through the village.
Faint, yet seeming to gather in a single direction.
He couldn’t be certain it all flowed from the same place, but he could feel the energy suffusing the village growing gradually thicker as he moved in one direction.

‘That way, then.’

Curiosity stirred in him.
Aside from finding the person they sought, he wanted to understand what had transformed So Ji Jin so completely.
Yu Jang Ha followed the currents, walking slowly.
After passing through several alleys, he turned onto another street.
Two figures appeared in the road ahead.
An elderly man in a simple plain robe and a young woman in a purple silk dress.
Jang Hyeon Jin In and Yuk Mu Ssang, who had come to So Ji Jin seeking Yeop Jang Cheong.
Yu Jang Ha’s steps halted.
The spiritual energy emanating from the old man was extraordinary. He couldn’t determine his exact station, but it was clear the man belonged to Tae Hyeon Seong Ji.
Jang Hyeon Jin In’s gaze turned toward him at the same moment.
Their eyes met in the empty space between them.

“You are…….”

Yu Jang Ha spoke first, but studying the other man, he did not finish.
Jang Hyeon Jin In’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you Yu Jang Ha, Chief of the Qi Shi Bu of the Da Yeon imperial court?”

The color drained from Yu Jang Ha’s face.
The fact that the man had recognized his station at a glance meant he was no minor figure within the sect.
Yu Jang Ha asked nothing further. He clasped his fist and bowed with respect.

“I entered your sect’s territory unintentionally. I harbored no intention of deliberately violating your rules…….”
“If you belong to the Qi Shi Bu, you should know the rules well enough.”

Jang Hyeon Jin In’s voice turned cold.
Yeop Jang Cheong was in So Ji Jin now. Under ordinary circumstances, the arrival of a handful of imperial court members in the territory might not have been received with such sharp displeasure.
But today was different.

“Those who belong to the imperial house must first seek permission before entering Tae Hyeon Seong Ji’s territory. Isn’t that what Da Yeon and we agreed upon long ago?”
“I’m aware of that.”
“Then you entered knowing this?”

Yu Jang Ha’s jaw tightened.
Instead of responding, he held his tongue. Since they had been the first to break the agreement, he had no grounds for protest.

“There were circumstances.”
“Whatever the circumstances, you must leave first.”

Jang Hyeon Jin In would not yield an inch.

“Take your people and withdraw from So Ji Jin before going any further.”
“If you don’t withdraw now, you know as well as I do what comes next.”

His meaning was unmistakable: no further negotiation would be tolerated.
Yu Jang Ha hesitated for a moment.
He couldn’t simply turn back.
The person he needed to find was far too important.
That person was the Ninth Princess of the Da Yeon Kingdom, whom the emperor cherished above all.
With even a possibility that she might be here in So Ji Jin, he couldn’t abandon the search without confirmation.
At last, he drew a steady breath and spoke.

“There is a possibility that the Ninth Princess of Da Yeon may be within So Ji Jin.”

Jang Hyeon Jin In’s eyebrows shifted.

“The Ninth Princess, you say?”

Yuk Mu Ssang turned her head as well.

“You mean Yeon Bing Sim, the Ninth Princess of Da Yeon?”

Yu Jang Ha nodded at once.

“That is correct.”

Both had come from Tae Hyeon Seong Ji, and the depths of Jang Hyeon Jin In’s power were difficult even for him to fathom. Yu Jang Ha saw no point in further concealment and laid out the circumstances plainly.
Jang Hyeon Jin In’s expression hardened instead.

“If it is a princess, she would understand better than most the covenant between our Tae Hyeon Seong Ji and the imperial throne.”
“There is a misunderstanding.”

Yu Jang Ha hurried to clarify.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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